Auxiliary Cab Heater...

[The Lang-Shankit Scunner]

Because of my heat exchanger for the veg oil, my heater matrix is starved of warm coolant, so i want a heater that i can use in the cab.

Has anyone got any ideas or even perhaps a heater i can buy from you, maybe even a small gas one that i can tie down for when im in the truck only of course. If anyone has one i would like to purchase it.

[yoshie]

Like this

http://www.ground-z.org/electronics/vehicle/heater.html

[MudSurfer]

Why not just tap off the original heater and put hoses back up to the matrix, then you have heating and pre heater.....

[The Lang-Shankit Scunner]

Yes kinda like that, although maybe a brit one that aint £50

[Muddy Boots]

Hi mate.

Not sure if you have considered fitting a propex unit.

I fitted one of these in my campervan and it chucks out loads of heat. It runs off gas. i think they are he only ones that you are legally allowed to drive with although you could always go down the route of an esbashuer (spelling) heater which runs of petrol.

If you need any advice or info on the propex unit let me know.

this is their website

http://www.propexheatsource.co.uk/

It is worth giving them a phone as they get in old units refurb and sell on for about half the price of a new un.

[The Lang-Shankit Scunner]

Why not just tap off the original heater and put hoses back up to the matrix, then you have heating and pre heater.....

Had thought about that but when i dont want heat and i turn off heater matrix, heat exchanger also fails to get hot, so my oil goes cold. I have drawn diags of piping and so-on but cant get it so that i can have coolant through exchanger all the time but matrix part of the time. Bit of a pain really

[MudSurfer]

Had thought about that but when i dont want heat and i turn off heater matrix, heat exchanger also fails to get hot, so my oil goes cold. I have drawn diags of piping and so-on but cant get it so that i can have coolant through exchanger all the time but matrix part of the time. Bit of a pain really

I'll have a think about it....

[The Lang-Shankit Scunner]

Also thinking about a portable gas heater like you have in a living room just to warm up the truck in the morning and defrost everything, any of those knocking around?

[Highlander1]

eberspacer truck cab heaters fit a wee tank under the truck and run your diesel heater from the thermostat which you mount close to hand. Phone truck breakers there's usually some kicking about. I keep meaning to fit one to mine but always man yana.

I fitted one on my old Bedford years ago it ran off the main tank. bolts under neath with a tiny exhaust coming out the side. if it's above the axle at the rear there's loads of room.

Cheers JB

[Sancho]

Just 'thinking outside the box' - I am a consultant after all .....Could you hook up the heater matrix to some kind of heat exchanger on or near to the exhaust? I think that was how the heating worked on the old Fiat 500s, which were air cooled and I once owned one of.

edit: I think they had them on Beetles. Have a look on ebay for an exhaust heat exchanger.

[smiffy]

Any of these Carl????????? Probably nothin like what your lokin for!! I was gonna get one for the frosty mornings since i start work at 5 sometimes and the neighbours dont appreciate my truck running for 10 mins to de frost.
12v ceramic

[The Lang-Shankit Scunner]

Any of these Carl????????? Probably nothin like what your lokin for!! I was gonna get one for the frosty mornings since i start work at 5 sometimes and the neighbours dont appreciate my truck running for 10 mins to de frost.
12v ceramic

Cheers sancho looking into that post haste, and smiffy, those are all pish, like being coughed on by a mouse wiv the flu.

Thanks though

[Muddy Boots]

Just 'thinking outside the box' - I am a consultant after all .....Could you hook up the heater matrix to some kind of heat exchanger on or near to the exhaust? I think that was how the heating worked on the old Fiat 500s, which were air cooled and I once owned one of.

edit: I think they had them on Beetles. Have a look on ebay for an exhaust heat exchanger.

No offence here but I fitted beetle heat exchangers to my vw campervan in an attempt to get some heat into it. Its a lot of effort and if you are considering trying this there are some points to bear in mind. Firstly the air is moved through the exchangers by the engine fan. The heat exchangers heat up via the exhaust. The plumbing involved in trying to fit this would be some undertaking. The concertina pipe which goes to the heat exchangers are like donkeys dentures as well. Secondly they cost about £100 each. Now you can buy cheaper pattern ones of these but they are rubbish and don't work so you have to source originals.

The thing is a well if you get water in them they mist up the cab.

They do chuck out a shed load of heat but the practicalities of fitting them to a non air cooled VW would seriously make your head spin.

[PDR]

There is no need to mess about with heat exchangers or plumbing in other items as apparently these trucks will run on an alternative fuel to cooking oil…..they sell it at the same place I buy my petrol and it is called DIESEL, problem solved

[nero279]

I assume your heat exchanger for the veg is tapped across the valve for the heater matrix, effectively running in parralel to the heater matrix, but not controlled by the valve for it so your veg heater is working all the time?

So what's to stop you fitting a 2nd valve the same as the one for the heater matrix into the veg heater pipes? And fitting an aftermarket oil temperature guage (although it would actually be measuring fuel temperature) into the fuel lines before the heater? Meaning that once the veg has warmed up from the warmed oil returning to the tank you can increase the flow resistance in the fuel heater pipes, sending some of the flow back through the heater matrix? At the same time monitoring the veg temperature so if it drops too low you can switch the coolant bias back to the fuel heater. Or find an amacable middle ground where the veg is being heated enough but you also have a little control o the cab heat.

Just an idea?